FR Doc 2010-16937
[Federal Register: July 12, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 132)]
[Notices]
[Page 39779-39782]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr12jy10-91]
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Part III
Department of Education
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National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR)--
Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program--
Disability Rehabilitation Research Project (DRRP)--Center on Knowledge
Translation (KT) for Employment Research (Center); Notices
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research
(NIDRR)--Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers
Program--Disability Rehabilitation Research Project (DRRP)--Center on
Knowledge Translation (KT) for Employment Research (Center)
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.133A-5.
AGENCY: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services,
Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice of final priority.
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SUMMARY: The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services announces a priority for the Disability and
Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program administered by
NIDRR. Specifically, this notice announces a priority for a DRRP to
serve as the Center on Knowledge Translation (KT) for Employment
Research (Center). The Assistant Secretary may use this priority for a
competition in fiscal year (FY) 2010 and later years. We take this
action to focus research attention on areas of national need. We intend
this priority to improve rehabilitation services and outcomes for
individuals with disabilities.
DATES: Effective Date: This priority is effective August 11, 2010.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lynn Medley, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Room 5140, Potomac Center Plaza
(PCP), Washington, DC 20202-2700. Telephone: (202) 245-7338 or by e-
mail: Lynn.Medley@ed.gov.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), call the
Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
This notice of final priority is in concert with NIDRR's Final
Long-Range Plan for FY 2005-2009 (Plan). The Plan, which was published
in the Federal Register on February 15, 2006 (71 FR 8165), can be
accessed on the Internet at the following site:
http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/nidrr/policy.html.
Through the implementation of the Plan, NIDRR seeks to: (1) Improve
the quality and utility of disability and rehabilitation research; (2)
foster an exchange of expertise, information, and training to
facilitate the advancement of knowledge and understanding of the unique
needs of traditionally underserved populations; (3) determine best
strategies and programs to improve rehabilitation outcomes for
underserved populations; (4) identify research gaps; (5) identify
mechanisms of integrating research and practice; and (6) disseminate
findings.
Purpose of Program:
The purpose of the DRRP program is to improve the effectiveness of
services authorized under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended,
by developing methods, procedures, and rehabilitation technologies that
advance a wide range of independent living and employment outcomes for
individuals with disabilities, especially individuals with the most
severe disabilities. DRRPs carry out one or more of the following types
of activities, as specified and defined in 34 CFR 350.13 through
350.19: Research, training, demonstration, development, dissemination,
utilization, and technical assistance. An applicant for assistance
under this program must demonstrate in its application how it will
address, in whole or in part, the needs of individuals with
disabilities from minority backgrounds (34 CFR 350.40(a)). The
approaches an applicant may take to meet this requirement are found in
34 CFR 350.40(b). In addition, NIDRR intends to require all DRRP
applicants to meet the requirements of the General Disability and
Rehabilitation Research Projects (DRRP) Requirements priority that it
published in a notice of final priorities in the Federal Register on
April 28, 2006 (71 FR 25472).
Additional information on the DRRP program can be found at:
http://www.ed.gov/rschstat/research/pubs/res-program.html#DRRP.
Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 762(g) and 764(a).
Applicable Program Regulations: 34 CFR part 350.
We published a notice of proposed priority (NPP) for NIDRR's
Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program in
the Federal Register on May 17, 2010 (75 FR 27544). The NPP included a
background statement that described our rationale for the priority
proposed in that notice.
There is one significant difference between the NPP and this notice
of final priority (NFP) as discussed in the following section.
Public Comment:
In response to our invitation in the NPP, one party submitted
comments on the proposed priority. An analysis of the comments and of
the changes in the priority since publication of the NPP follows.
Generally, we do not address technical and other minor changes or
suggested changes the law does not authorize us to make under the
applicable statutory authority. In addition, we do not address general
comments that raised concerns not directly related to the proposed
priority.
Analysis of Comments and Changes:
Comment: One commenter noted that the priority requires the Center
to actively engage ``vocational rehabilitation (VR) practitioners'' in
its work. This commenter asked whether the term ``VR practitioners''
refers only to State VR agencies and their staff, or if the term could
also include staff of rehabilitation service providers such as
Community Rehabilitation Programs.
Discussion: As used in the priority, the term ``VR practitioners''
refers specifically to State VR agencies and their staff. However,
applicants are free to expand the use of this term to include other
rehabilitation professionals, such as staff from Community
Rehabilitation Programs.
Changes: None.
Comment: In reference to paragraph (c) of the priority, one
commenter noted that it would be beneficial for the Center to
coordinate with, and provide training and technical assistance to,
NIDRR's Disability and Business Technical Assistance Center (DBTAC)
grantees, as well as relevant RSA grantees such as the Technical
Assistance and Continuing Education (TACE) Centers.
Discussion: NIDRR agrees that the Center should coordinate with the
DBTAC grantees and TACE Centers and that these grantees would benefit
from the work of the Center. Therefore, NIDRR is changing the priority
accordingly.
Changes: NIDRR has revised paragraphs (c)(1) and (c)(2) of the
priority to require the Center to coordinate its activities with RSA-
funded grantees, as well as NIDRR-funded grantees. NIDRR has also
revised paragraph (c)(1) of the priority to include the DBTACs and the
TACE Centers as examples of relevant RSA- and NIDRR-funded grantees
that could benefit from the training and technical assistance provided
by the Center.
Final Priority:
The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative
Services announces a priority for a Disability and Rehabilitation
Research Project (DRRP) to serve as the Center on Knowledge Translation
(KT) for Employment Research (Center). The purpose of the Center is to
conduct systematic reviews of research findings to identify evidence-
based practices and other information that can be used to improve
employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities, to identify
research
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gaps, and to investigate and promote effective strategies to increase
the appropriate use of these findings. The Center must conduct rigorous
and relevant research, development, technical assistance,
dissemination, and utilization activities.
These activities must contribute to: (1) Improved knowledge of the
state of research relevant to improving employment outcomes for
individuals with disabilities; (2) improved knowledge of the findings
from high-quality research; (3) identification of practices that are
promising or proven to have been effective for specific purposes or
target audiences; and (4) improved knowledge on the part of consumers
and others not only of the research findings but also of the strengths
of the findings and the appropriate use of the research information.
These outcomes will lead to the increased use of research-based
knowledge related to improving employment outcomes for individuals with
disabilities by the following user groups: Individuals with
disabilities, employers, policy makers, and vocational rehabilitation
(VR) practitioners. The Center must work in partnership with
organizations representing these user groups. These user groups must be
actively engaged in the planning, conduct, and evaluation of all
project activities.
Under this priority, the Center must contribute to the following
outcomes:
(a) Establishment of available employment-related knowledge that
can be used to inform behavior, practices, or policies that improve
employment outcomes of individuals with disabilities. The Center must
contribute to this outcome by:
(1) Systematically reviewing existing research to identify findings
that can be used by individuals with disabilities, employers, policy
makers, and VR practitioners to improve the employment of individuals
with disabilities. The Center must conduct systematic reviews of
individual studies to assess their strengths and weaknesses; summarize
findings; assess the appropriate uses of the findings; determine the
relevance of the findings; and make the information publicly available.
In so doing, the Center must take into account the types of research
and stages of knowledge development (i.e., the type of research
questions being addressed and the methods employed) in each area.
(2) Producing syntheses on topics, including promising and proven
practices, for which the Center determines the research to be of
sufficient quality and relevance pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) of this
priority. The Center must use standards and methods that are
appropriate for the type of research, the stage of knowledge in the
identified areas, and its intended use to categorize, evaluate, and
synthesize the research findings identified in paragraph (a)(1) of this
priority.
(3) Suggesting priorities for a future research agenda based on the
knowledge gaps discovered through the review of existing research
findings in paragraph (a)(1) of this priority.
(b) Establishment of effective approaches and strategies to promote
the appropriate use of research findings on improving the employment of
individuals with disabilities, by individuals with disabilities,
employers, policy makers, and VR practitioners.
The Center must contribute to this outcome by:
(1) Conducting research on factors impeding and contributing to the
use of research findings on employment of individuals with disabilities
by individuals with disabilities, employers, policy makers, and VR
practitioners.
(2) Identifying, selecting, refining, and testing approaches and
strategies that can be used to promote the appropriate use of research
findings on employment of individuals with disabilities by individuals
with disabilities, employers, policy makers, and VR practitioners.
These approaches and strategies must be refined and tested within each
of the user groups. The Center must use at least one of the areas of
the synthesized knowledge from paragraph (a)(2) of this priority as a
subject for further refinement and testing of KT approaches and
strategies.
(c) Increased utilization of approaches and strategies determined
to be effective under paragraph (b) of this priority to promote the use
of research findings on employment of individuals with disabilities.
The Center must contribute to this outcome by:
(1) Providing training and technical assistance to relevant RSA-
and NIDRR-funded grantees in the employment area to facilitate the
implementation and evaluation of these KT approaches and strategies.
Relevant RSA-funded grantees include, but are not limited to, the
Technical Assistance and Continuing Education (TACE) Centers. NIDRR-
funded grantees in the employment area include a number of research
grantees, as well as the Disability and Business Technical Assistance
Center (DBTAC) grantees.
(2) Coordinating KT research and development activities with
existing NIDRR- and RSA-funded KT and employment projects through
consultation with NIDRR project officers.
(3) Using appropriate approaches and strategies established under
paragraph (b) of this priority to disseminate the synthesized knowledge
established under paragraph (a) of this priority to individuals with
disabilities, employers, policy makers, and VR practitioners.
(4) Organizing and hosting a state-of-the-science conference by the
end of the fourth project year.
Types of Priorities:
When inviting applications for a competition using one or more
priorities, we designate the type of each priority as absolute,
competitive preference, or invitational through a notice in the Federal
Register. The effect of each type of priority follows:
Absolute priority: Under an absolute priority, we consider only
applications that meet the priority (34 CFR 75.105(c)(3)).
Competitive preference priority: Under a competitive preference
priority, we give competitive preference to an application by (1)
awarding additional points, depending on the extent to which the
application meets the priority (34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i)); or (2)
selecting an application that meets the priority over an application of
comparable merit that does not meet the priority (34 CFR
75.105(c)(2)(ii)).
Invitational priority: Under an invitational priority, we are
particularly interested in applications that meet the priority.
However, we do not give an application that meets the priority a
preference over other applications (34 CFR 75.105(c)(1)).
Note: This notice does not solicit applications. In any year in
which we choose to use this priority, we invite applications through
a notice in the Federal Register.
Executive Order 12866: This notice has been reviewed in accordance
with Executive Order 12866. Under the terms of the order, we have
assessed the potential costs and benefits of this regulatory action.
The potential costs associated with this final regulatory action
are those resulting from statutory requirements and those we have
determined as necessary for administering this program effectively and
efficiently.
In assessing the potential costs and benefits--both quantitative
and qualitative--of this final regulatory action, we have determined
that the benefits of the final priority justify the costs.
Discussion of costs and benefits:
The benefits of the Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects
and Centers Programs have been well
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established over the years in that similar projects have been completed
successfully. This priority will generate new knowledge through
research, development, dissemination, utilization, and technical
assistance projects that will enhance the lives of individuals with
disabilities by improving their employment outcomes.
Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this
document in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print,
audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the Grants and Contracts
Services Team, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW.,
room 5075, PCP, Washington, DC 20202-2550. Telephone: (202) 245-7363.
If you use a TDD, call the FRS, toll-free, at 1-800-877-8339.
Electronic Access to This Document: You can view this document, as
well as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal
Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) on the
Internet at the following site: http://www.ed.gov/news/fedregister. To
use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at
this site.
Note: The official version of this document is the document
published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the
official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal
Regulations is available on GPO Access at:
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html.
Dated: July 7, 2010.
Alexa Posny,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 2010-16937 Filed 7-9-10; 8:45 am]
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